04 April 2012

Andy Carroll's season went from bad to worse last Sunday when he embarrassed himself with a blatant dive during Liverpool's defeat to Newcastle. The underperforming striker was swiftly yellow-carded, and to add insult to injury, Kenny Dalglish subbed him off despite Liverpool being in desperate need of a goal. The Ridicule and recrimination has intensified over the last three days, and former Anfield striker Stan Collymore has called for harsher punishments for diving and play-acting.

Collymore made it clear during his post-match TalkSport show that he was disgusted with Carroll's laughable attempt to con the referee:

Collymore was equally scathing about James Perch's disgraceful play-acting after the Pepe Reina's attempted headbutt:

Collymore vented his frustration on Twitter, arguing that both Carroll and James Perch should be punished. He tweeted:

"Not many suggesting punishments for diving, so is it now with us for good? I say give Carroll/Perch three game bans. They won't do it again"

I totally agree with this. Currently, there is absolutely no incentive for players not to dive; 99% of the time, they get away with it, and even when the dive is as blatant as Carroll's, managers implicitly condone the behaviour by doing absolutely nothing about it.

Kenny Dalglish is guilty of this; after the Newcastle game, he disputed that Carroll dived, and argued that he'd merely 'stumbled' in the box. That excuse is almost as embarrassing as the dive itself.

Perch's dive was just as bad as Carroll's, and although Reina deserved to be sent off for the intent, he can perhaps feel a little aggrieved at the obvious play-acting that caught the referee's attention.

Liverpool's players were furious with Perch, and after the game, they showed their support for Reina in typical LFC fashion:

Perch for three games Caroll for longer if possible. We might start to score some goals. Jamie just read the bit you comented at the end of the article. I don't read anything that man writes cos dont rate his opinions at all. When in London I used to listen to Talk Sport and the minute he came on air I switched the channel. Can't stand the guy.

As a Liverpool fan , I say Reina's red card and ban was deserved. He's long enough in the game to know better . However , Perch too should be hit with a ban , Perch and Carroll are the reason behind schoolboy footballers playing on a saturday or sunday morning are diving and faking injuries. Cheating like that deserves much more than a yellow care. As for your Typical Liverpool fan remark , I haven't heard 1 LFC fan saying Reina didn't desvere to be sent off

Perch got a card, people should deal with that, we're not appealing for Reina's card, enough that is the end of the story tbh, seems like everybody by hanging to that bull... try to move the attention away that the future of KK is in balance, and it rightly should be. btw interesting article: http://worldsport.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/04/why-liverpool-must-sack-kenny-dalglish/#comment-28003 , i think that is the first person who came out in the media with this idea. 100% support it

I actually believe that the punishment for diving should start at a 3 game ban and then escalate, doubling after each incident. Managers will soon tire of a player who could potentially only play 4 games a season.However, who here thinks the Ferguson Association will santion the kind of action which might reduce the next C. Ronaldo's input to a 40 game career spanning 10 seasons?

Suarez spent the entire game whining and complaining, DIVING, and waving an imaginary card.No comment about him, I see.But you've defended him for worse, I suppose (even imitating his racism some of you)Perch has done nothing that Suarez and many of your team would have done in the same circumstances. He was booked, and deserved it.Reina DID but him. Red card it was.Stop whining and move on, for God's sake.

Fair point and something that would make players think twice about doing it again. Pardew said he was disappointed with the Carroll dive but failed to acknowledge that Ben Arfa done exactly the same thing in the game when he dived with no contact from Enrique...nobody has mentioned that incident with everything else that went on afterwards.

Eric you all defended Suarez when he was guilty of racism and now the pic above just shows how diluded you all are, i agree diving should be punished because its an awful part of the game but please don't try to blame Perch for Reina getting sent off it was his own stupid fault. The pic of the players wearing t-shirts with Reina is innocent is just unbelievable and btw Daglish is never a Manager and he will ruin you's like he did us

Nobody mentioned the time Suarez was mysteriously elbowed by an 8-foot long elbow that must have grown invisibly from Gutierrez's back. Perch over-reacted - but didn't "dive" And i can remember Tino Asprilla getting a retrospective ban for the gentlest of nods in the direction of Keith Curle. Reina's intent was clear and even if he'd made it through the 90 minutes he should have been picked up on video review and received the same ban. Get over it, Stan Collywobble.

Perch should get a one-match ban for reacting in the way he did but at the end of the day, refs need to see a reaction like that in order to send the other player off, because players shouldn't be rubbing their head/headbutting another player, regardless of how light/heavy the contact was. Regardless of Perch reacting like such a pussycat, what Reina did is a red card offence and rightly so.

Would the ref have sent off Reina, if Perch didn't react in such a theatrical way? That is the problem here. Refs are naive like that, they need to see a reaction to somehow gauge what to do.

Reina Had to get a red for leading in with his head and should know better. Perch should have got red for kicking out at Reina in the 1st place since when can players kick out at keepers running with the ball.

Perch over reacted to make sure the ref was aware of what happened, most footballers do this, this is not cheating and does not deserve a ban, over reacting and blatently cheating when trying to get an innocent player sent are totally different, Carroll tried to get Krul sent off, Reina committed a sending off offence and Perch tired to make sure he got what he deserved, if Reina had not recated as he did, Perch would not have done what he did, Krul did nothing wrong at all yet Carroll tried to get him sent off, how anyone can claim that Perch is as guilty as Carroll or Reina is absurd

If every player was sent off for intent we would have no players left on the field.Reina was aggrieved with the team losing and Perch being a stupid little shit putting leaving his foot in the way he did, deserved a headbutt and not Reina just putting his head there.There was no contact whatsoever so in my book, yellow card at best. But Reina is not appreciated on this site for contemplating leaving due to the ownership crap going on last year. Shame on you Pepe, you have been best keeper in premier league for past 6 seasons, (Golden Glove Awards to prove)Thats if stats mean anything!!!!

Carroll dived to try and get Krul sent off, Perch over reacted, didn't dive, just over reacted, when Reina head butted him, and you claim that Perch is a cheating scumbag, and there isn't room in football for players like him, you then wonder why Liverpool football club have taken the mantle of being the most disliked football club in England off Man Utd, unbelievable

Yeah, back to that subjective word; deserved. Just like we have been playing better than our results suggest and we 'deserved' more points than the pitiful amount that we have picked up. Who deserves to be headbutted?

There was contact, and the rules say that intent counts. If he'd swung a punch and missed he would still go off. So, your book is wrong to be only giving out yellow cards if you saw the incident.

The subject is not about whether Pepe wanted to stay or not, or how good he is, it is about if he, and others, deserved a suspension. What does him wanting to stay or go have to do with anything? Do you think people are saying that he deserved his red card because he suggested he might leave the club?

Thank you Scallyryan for being the only person to actually mention the FACT that there was actually no contact. Secondly what is the rubbish you are all spouting about intent? Do you really believe that if Reina had intent to headbutt Perch that he wouldn't have been a bleeding mess. You all stop the partizan shite and grow up. Reina didn't deserve a red card, Perch over-reacted and Carroll dived....SIMPLE! The problem with today's football is people now see what they want to see.

As a Newcastle Fan it was embarrasing watching Perch go down like he had been caught with a swift upper cut from Rocky, Reina would of been sent off for it and there was no need at all for the play acting. Im not sure if a ban would be the right thing but I would welcome players getting at the very least a yellow card. No place for it.Got to say though Liverpool players wearing innocent T shirts is a joke, has any Liverpool player ever been guilty of anything???, does this now mean that in not wearing a supportive T shirt the club and players think their team mates are guilty????

I used the fact Pepe had said he considered his future so therefore on this site he is discriminated against for not showing ultimate loyalty.

Intent, you say if you threw a punch, you cannot compare what Reina actually did to throwing a punch, if you said he raised his fist to an opponent like gervinho did to Joey Barton he would deserved a red card. Get a grip, Reina hardly moved his head, there was no obvious guaranteed contact, How can you be so sure there was contact. Just usual bullshit jumping on the bandwagon and trying to knock any aspect of LFC team at the moment because league results are not as expected!!!!If thats a red card, then this weekend we should see about 10, if intent is to go by we should see about 50!!!!!!!!!!!!And yes I did see the incident patronising wolly

Well if you read the article properly , I'm not just talking about perch , I also mentioned Carroll diving. Yes Suarez dives but so most premier League players , Like Rooney , Gerrard and in Particular , Gareth Bale , who has been booked twice this season for diving . So you are missing my point . What i am saying is ALL divers/cheaters should be banned for 3 games , it's the only way to make sure they think twice about doing it again

are you totally blind???? how on earth do you think that reina connected??? he was wrong to put his head towards perch, but in no way did he touch him,even slightly!!!! look again,this time after a visit to the opticians,you blind fool.

perch should be banned in a retrospective fashion, due to his blatant cheating. end of story. reina was a fool,in my book,if you are going to walk for nothing,you may as well walk for something...he should have hit him.

don't you realise, that you can only come on here, if you like to berate, our players!! ;) gabweb, talks complete dross, along with his other, so called LFC fans!! some of them, have done nothing but, lay into Reina, over the last few weeks!! they seem to forget the fact, he been our one constant, over the last few seasons, and one of the best keepers in the prem!! but, you know how things are on this site, a few dodgy games, and we have to get rid of him!! get someone else in!! change the record boys!!

I'm still waiting for Clint Dempseys red card for his 'headbutt' on Bellamy earlier in the season.. Reason why I'll be waiting ??? Bellamy didn't go down like a sack of spuds like Perch.

Obviously players reactions to these types of incidents effects crowds reaction, team mates reaction and in turn the referees decision.

Fact is Perch feigned injury in an attempt to get Pepe sent off. Was there contact ? Yes but minimal .. in fact less than Dempseys on Bellamy. Bellamy stayed on his feet, shrugged it off and got on with the game, no drama or histrionics and the referee ignored the incindent because Bellamy afforded him the opportunity of doing so.

But when you have a guy rolling around the turf and the whole place going mental as a result, the referee is left with little choice but to take action. I do think players should be punished after the fact if it can reasonably be seen that they over reacted to or feigned injury.. no matter who they are.. it's ruining the game..

Well it's not the end of the story is it.. As clearly demonstrated in the Dempsey v Bellamy incident earlier in the season, it's quite easy to stay on your feet when there is minimal contact.

We are all men are we not, (apologies to any lady readers on the forum lol), and we all have a fair idea of the force nesecarry to be laid out on the deck mate. If your saying that there was enough force in that incident then your being disingeuous, or else you have a glass jaw like perch seems to have.

Had he stayed on his feet and meet what little contact there was from Reinas head like a man and not a 6 year old girl, you would have had a situation where two players are squaring up to eachother, head to head(ala Dempseyv Bellamy). They would have been pulled apart and that would have been the end of it.

Inatead Reinas attempts to square up to Perch were met with a theatrical dive and all of a sudden it's a headbutt .. pretty pathetic really.

I knew the same happened to one of our players and could remember who it was so thank you for jigging my memory. Dempsey proper headbutted Bellamy as well!!!

Point is so valid. perch is nothing but an average Championship utility player after attention however way he can get it!Sometimes players react as such to get players sent off to gain an advantage in that particular match which can be deemed gamesmanship but with newcastle winning 2 nil with 10 mins to go the little rat has cheated and made a laughing stock out of himself. We will all remeber him now won't we? and even Andy carroll skinned him seconds before he Stumbled / Dived in the box so tells you the level of player he is!!!!!!Expect this from foreigners but not british players!!!!

Can you prove he is being discriminated against? Sure you were one of the people saying that if you cannot prove something you shouldn't be accusing others of things. Hypocrisy?

Fist or head? If you aim a kick at someone, like Beckham, you get a red card. Are you saying aiming a head butt is not a red card offence? Why can't our players keep their anatomy away from players of other teams? Hardly moved his head? Are you serious?

There was contact, odd that you say there wasn't. Do you really see 10 of those a week? When were the last 10?

What, so Rooney, Gerrard, Owen are not British players who dive? You still use that old chesnut the only foreigners are expected to dive nowadays? Your outlook is as outdated as Kenny's, no wonder you love his management so much.

i didn't want to spoil, all of your fun!! it seems to me, that most people who come on here, want us to lose!! just so they can say, told you so!! i know the teams peformed really poor over the last hanful of games!! but, i for one, know, that a club needs stability!! not to change managers, every other season!! man u, and Arsenal have that!! remember, the begiinig of the season, when a small section of Arsenal fans, where calling for Wenger to be sacked!! they dint panick, stuck with him, and he turned it around!! the same will happen hear, we just need a little faith!!

OriginalChan, looks like you live to damn Suarez. About half the time, he is fouled, and the ref does nothing. Everyone in the PL goes down some time with no contact. Part of the game. Why don't you whine about Rooney for a change?

no way!! because it was plain as day!! that Roy had us playin, nthe most boring, football i ever seen!! he was out of his depth, anyone can see that!! if you can't see what kenny trying to do, then you seriously lack vision!!

The offence perch committed was simulation the same as carroll both got a caution for it. The offence reina committed was striking an opponent regardless of how much contact was made and therefore under law a sending off offence. As for collymore's comments the law doesnt allow a 3 match ban for simulation whether we agree or not.Yes we Geordie's do realise the t-shirts are made up good humour. Agree with a lot of the comments on Suarez behaviour during game, thought Carroll was better or more of a threat then him, why did Dagliesh move Bellamy to Central role in second half when he murdered us down the right side in the first half?

a few dodgy games ? you call our form since january 'a few dodgy games ' ?

Its rose tinters like you that are holding this club back - so if you dont like reality and prefer delusionial paranoid conspiracy theories - like how we would be top of the league by now if it wasnt for the dark lord of old trafford and his boot lickers at the FA - then allow me to point you in the direction of RAWK .

i stating the facts!! we have a cup!! we have a good chance of another cup!! league form has been bad, but, we all knew, getting into the top four this season, was a pipe dream!! if you actually thought we would do that, then you are dellusional!! kernny came bk to our club, when he dint have to!! we were in a dark place, he had a huge impact on the team! he turned our season around, he's brought us a cup, and how do all you wanna repay him?? get rid!! none of you are real fans!! you only there, when the going good!! when we bad, you all so quick to point ypur fingers!! thinking you coulod do better!! "he should of bought Aguero" he should of bought mata!! " his signins are rubbish!! you lot, would do well to team up with Abramovic!! you have the same mentality, the team lose a few games, go through a bad patch, i know... we'll sack the manager, get a nee one in... or, bring an old one bk!!

Wow.Carroll, Suarez who tried pretty much the same thing earlier when Guttierrez's arm was waved somewhere in his direction and his hands flew up to his face like he'd been punched. But that's alright cos he plays for Liverpool..

Because I couldn't give a monkeys about opposition players, when I got a annoying theatrical player in my own team in Suarez. Secondly, I'll do what I like, thank you very much, so you can shove your advice where the sun don't shine. Thirdly, Suarez is a serial cheat/theatrical annoying terd and if it weren't for his football ability, most Liverpool fans would hate him.

We need to learn how to do it quick. If Sterling ends up playing for Arsenal or Tottenham it could be almost as much of a waste as what we spent on the players who haven't performed. A player like him coming through into the first team could save us 20 million.